Submarine vessel.



A. GREENBERG.

SUBMARINE VESSEL.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 1. I916.

Patented June 19, 191?.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

WEN-r62 WITNESSES A. GREENBERG.

SUBMARINE VESSEL. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 1. 1916.

Patented June 19, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- WITNESSES ABRAHAM GREENQBEBG, or PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

SUBMARINE VESSEL.

menace.

To all whom it may concern:

, 1 Be it known that I, ABRAHAM GREENBERG,

a citizen of the United States, residing, at, Pittsburgh,-in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Submarine Vessels, of which the following is a' specification.

My invention refers to improvements in submarine vessels, and-has in view to provide a construction by which the main 1nterior of the vessel is .ca able of being put of water so as in communication with t e exterior through I I a series of chambers provided with coinmun-icating openings and means for closing I said openings whereby to control the flow,

to permit of the passage with any suitable r therethrough to the exterior offTan operator Y of-construction and is -fin-the manner hereinafter more fully de- .;L

scribed and illustrated "in the drawmgs;

or operators each inclosed within a, diving The invention comprisesvarious features adaptedto operate j the drawings,---- I of vesselvin elevation provided with my im-\ i door 15 is'provided which mayabefconvenf ie ntly mounted in slidewaysilfi, so ithat-itl' IIEOK" 01OS (1LbX- thQQCCLI- 7 provement.

- Fig.- 2 is a-plan 'view partly in vsectionf' I may. be thrust 30' showing the communicating chambers.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectionaldetail view;

of; the sameconstruction.

- I Fig. -.4.is a cross sectional view,'.indicated i I water-tight ['Figlg5' is 'a similar. sectional vieW," indi cated by the line V -V "Figr6'i's a partial sect onal view, "similar; lungeriwall oi th outerchamberretracte usual. .or co'nventional form :commonjm vessels of the; I I

' be, tightened thereon to "(opening v-Dpening to 'Fig. 3, showing the I The main vessel 2, ;of any submarine class, may beprovidediywith the necessary internal machinery and apparatus for efiecting propulsion andraising or low-fering' of the vessel through the water, as:

will be readily understood, andnotneces sarily herein described v of the vessel 2,

an outer chamber 3 wall 4 which may be fixedly mounted and so connected with the side wall re 1 is aview ofag'conventional form l" the two chambersal v of the main vessel asto form a practically continuous or integral part thereof.

Chamber or compartment 3 is provided with a plunger Wall 5 fitting within the shell 4 in the manner of a piston, and making practically water-tight sliding engagement therewith, so that when thrust outwardly to the limit of its travel, as in Figs; 2 and 3,

it forms a portion of the side wall.

.The plunger wall 5 is mounted on the end of aplunger rod or shaft 6;. extending through the rear wall of easing Land into the main interior portion of -the-vessel .2;

teeth of a rack' 9 which extends rearwardly underneath stem 6, pinion8 being geared prime mover'or engine by Iia shaft" '10 and suitable gearing 11, as will be readily understood.

[ Alongside of chamber ing'" casing 13 incorporated with the; side 3 is an inner chamber'.'12, s1m1larly-inclosed w thin a surroundwa'll of-thevessel, and in fixedadja'cent 10- Rod-.6 is actuated back and forthby any 3 suitable means, as by a pinion 8 engaging the between said chamber is an intervenin ",doori' pant toopen orc os e communication between 1 7; Door 17 is'pi'eferably Ing arm" 19 pivoted at QO- -and provided with a supportingtemp'er" screw 21, so that when the door isclosed overopening 18 it'may positively seal the permit of' a considerable accumulation of -water in the'lower portion of said chamber without overflowing into the interior ofthe vessel. 1

For the purpose of permitting release of" any contained water resulting from leakage around plunger 5, or excess air from chammounted on a swing- I is and its 'door are located at the upper-portion of chamber "12 'so ,as to is so mounted as to, cover-floor opening ,18 fleadlng v-to thefinterior' of the main vessel, I lilvell erelo'y?access-"may behadtoorfrom chamber 3 upon backward movement of plunger wall 5, I provide a pipe 22 communicating between the rear portion of chamber 3 and its forward portion, as indicated at 23, 24, respectively, so that as plunger wall 5 is thrust backwardly, any contained water or air may escape through pipe 22 to the other end portion of the chamber, and in front of .the receding plunger.

A check valve 25 is preferably inserted to prevent any back flow of water to the inner portion of the chamber.

Rod 6 may also pass through the rear wall of chamber 3 with sufficient clearance for a limited air circulation.

A pump 26 is also provided with a suction pipe 27 leading to the interior back portion of chamber 12, as indicated zit-.128, the pump having a discharge pipe 29 leading through the wall of the main vessel to its exterior, whereby any accumulation of water within chamber 12, when door 15 is closed, may be removed.

Pump 26 is provided with a suitable piston rod 30 and an actuating cylinder of wellknown construction.

Within chamber 12 is located the air line 31 communicating through the wall of the chamber by pipe 32 to any suitable air supply apparatus, pipe 31 being utilized in the well-known manner of supplying air to an ordinary divers suit, as indicated in Fig. 1.

The operation of the invention is as follows:

Assuming the apparatus to be in "the position shown in Fig. 3, with the plunger wall 5 making a practically tight fit against the outer wall of the vessel and closing the opening therethrough, door 17 is thrown open and the operator enters chamber 12, and he then is incased within the diving suit. Incidentally, thesuit may be equipped with the usual telephone or electric signaling devices, so that thediver can inform the operators within'the main interior at all times as to his condition and the necessary operation of the different parts of the entire mechanism. 7

Door 17 being then closed and hermetically sealed, the diveropens door 15, preferably before there is any water pressure against it, and plunger 5 is then receded backwardly beyond opening 145130 any desired extent, as indicated in Fig. 6. Water will then fill chamber 12, but will pass no farther, and access being opened to the exterior of the vessel, the diver can then pass out and operate within the limitations of the length of hose 31.

Upon returning through the main opening into the front portion of chamber 3 and backwardly into chamber 12, he then closes door 15 and signals for the closing of plunger 5.

Outward movement of plunger 5 will expel practically all of the water in front of it, so that the only water then contained is that within chamber 12. The operator then opens door 15, whereupon the water will and is economical in construction and maintenance.

It will be understood that the chambers and the attendant parts may be of any desired or preferred design, size or proportions, and that various changes in construction or details may be made by the skilled mechanic within the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

-1. In a submarine vessel, anouter chamber communicating with the exterior thereof provided with a reciprocable plunger wall,

fitting closely to the sides of the cham-.

ber, and an adjacent chamber provided with a closing door communicating with said first chamber and having a door opening into the interior of the main vessel.

'2. In a submarine vessel, an outer chamber communicating with the exterior thereof provided with a reciprocable'plunger wall, fitting closely to the side of said chamber in all positions, and an adjacent chamber provided with a closing door communicating with said first chamber and having a door opening-into the interior of the main vessel,

and means for exhausting water therefrom.

3. The combination with the main vessel, of an outer chamber communicating with theexterior thereof and provided with a reciprocable sealing plunger wall, said wall being adapted to prevent inflow of water above it at all positions and adapted to expel the water from said chamber on its outward movement, and an inner chamber having a door-controlled communication with said first chamber, and provided with a supplemental opening and a closing door at'its upper end portion communicating with the interior of the main vessel.

4. In a submarine vessel, an outer cylindrical chamber having its outer end open and communicating with the exterior thereof, a reciprocable plunger in -close contact I with the sides of said chamber and forming a sealing closure for said opening, said 5 ing communicating with said first named chamber, and a sliding door for closing said opening, said last named chamber also being provided with a supplemental opening and a closing door at'its inner end portion,

communicating with the interior of the main 1Q vessel.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

- ABRAHAM GREENBERG. 

